European League of Football: Munich Ravens make splash signing Gerrit Brandt
The Munich Ravens have made the first official splash signing of the 2024 European League of Football preseason with the addition of Gerrit Brandt.
New head coach Kendral Ellison and offensive coordinator Kyle Callahan have not pulled any punches to start the new year. Johannes Zirngibl and Enis Kaser are re-signed and locked in for the new season, but in signing Brandt, they have added one of the top offensive linemen in Europe in what many would say is an earthmover in terms of its impact on the team.
Brandt is definitely one of the premier offensive linemen in all of Europe. While at Hamburg last season, he played in nine games. Although Hamburg had a slump from their previous two seasons, in which they made the championship and fell short in both, they still had some pieces that can be considered within the elite level of European American football. The 6’5, 306 pound 25 year old tackle from Hanover, stands out on the tape very evidently. He has strong hands, quick feet, and length. Pair this with his nastiness, finish and anchor ability and you have a top-level lineman at tackle who can protect the offensive in both phases. The fact he is still only 26 means he has a lot more room for growth in his ability. It is still unconfirmed if the offense will remain as it was in the 2023 season, but Brandt will be in the running for an All-Star level season if he has the right supporting cast.
Before signing with Hamburg last season, Brandt spent three seasons with the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions (2019, 2021, 2022) helping the Lions win the German Football League title in 2019.
Munich last season had the number two offense in the ELF and was right on the cusp of a playoff berth but ultimately missed out. This was unfortunate for the Ravens, but given it was the very first year that the team had existed there is a lot of hype and expectation for the second rendition of the team. The coaching staff has made some changes, and they seem to want to keep the offensive identity intact. From a squad-building perspective, landing a homegrown player of this caliber is imperative and makes them an instant playoff contender.
However, it is hard to gauge who he will have around him within the offense with the high turnover of players in the European League of Football. The title of contender may be premature given the literal ten other positions that need to be filled to field an offense, but to start the campaign so strongly will only encourage more high-value assets to consider the Munich Ravens as their next landing spot.
